User Experience

As developers, we know that data validation is important - the security of our systems and the integrity of our data is vitally dependent upon it. Unfortunately, security and integrity seems to be the limit to which most systems apply

I'm one of the many who've been trying out the Windows 7 Release candidate - yes, I know that it's available retail now, it's on the Christmas list.

One thing that's bugged me is the apparent lack of follow through with Multi-monitor support. You see, if you drag windows around with the mouse, Windows 7 offers some useful auto-dock functionality, but only at the outer edges of the screens.

I took the plunge last weekend and installed Windows 7 on my primary home machine. Slightly risky, but I figured since it was good enough for many others, it wasn't too big a risk.

Basically, Windows 7 feels like Windows Vista, but polished. It's all the little things that make a difference.

One of the big differences, though, is the revamp of the taskbar - while you can change it if you choose, the default presentation is icon based, not named.

I like it - a lot.

The careful use of colour – of hue, saturation and lightness – can improve a user interface greatly.

Sometimes the best use is to avoid distraction, allowing people to concentrate on differences that matter; sometimes the best use is to add information, revealing differences that were previously hidden.

Mark Miller (of DotNetRocks and DevExpress fame) spends a lot of time focussing on this area, treating it (rightly, in my opinion) as a competitive advantage.

Now I'm all in favour of keeping your users informed - letting them know in advance of planned downtime is more than simple good manners, it's necessary.

So today when I came across an announcement on a prominent vendors website, I initially thought it was a good thing.

downtime.jpg

Sometimes a good error message is all it takes ...

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This one is concise, accurate and completely uninformative. Sigh.

So I'm involved with a project that's includes finally deploying Office 2007 throughout the office, and the #1 source of comments from users is the Ribbon. While some like it, most don't - and some are downright creative in their commentary.

Leading up to the release of Office 2007, I read the blog of Jensen Harris, the "Group Program Manager of the Microsoft Office User Experience Team" (what a job title, eh!).

For twenty years, the technology industry has been enthusiastically preaching the message "computers are easy" to the unsuspecting public - people who have, unsurprisingly, believed the myth is true.

The myth of easy computing is very alluring - perhaps this is why we have, as an industry, fallen for it so thoroughly. Unfortunately, it's a myth that has caused a great deal of pain and cost a vast amount in terms of lost productivity and lost information.